You Mumble In Your Sleep
by HarryPotterTwin
Summary: Post-Game. Ellie has a surprise for Joel when he returns from working one day. A surprise that includes a guitar. NOT JOELxELLIE! JUST FATHER-DAUGHTER! PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE START!


**You Mumble In Your Sleep**

**A/N- **_**After all of the praise I received from my other Oneshot, I've decided to try another and see what this gets! I was searching on youtube for the TLOU soundtrack and came across the little gem I used in this story. I really need you to search for it cause it's damn good! It's 'Ellie's Song' by Emma Hallows. Please give it a listen cause she is amazing (and from Britain! Whoop!) Anyway, all credit goes to her for the song. Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoy!**_

Another day in the settlement meant another day of hard work for Joel. Yes, it felt good to be able to relax, but the work wasn't doing him any good. Well, except for the fact that he'd gained some of his muscle mass back after months of malnutrition. Plus, there was electricity and fuel, which meant that they could use their ration cards for other necessities.

They had managed to make it back to the settlement within two months of what Joel had started to call the 'Firefly Incident' and had somehow built a life together.

He didn't know it was possible, but he had managed to care for the fourteen-year-old more than he had that day in the hospital. It's funny how that happens, isn't it? You only know what you have until it's gone. Or in Joel's case, in danger of being gone.

He grumbled as he approached his and Ellie's house, rubbing a sore spot on his back and trying desperately to make it go away. He slowly reached for the doorknob and turned it, happy to be greeted by the sounds of a guitar being played. He turned right into their living room and grinned when he saw Ellie on their makeshift couch with the acoustic guitar he had picked up and given her for her fifteenth birthday.

"_Every teenager needs a guitar. Especially one who likes music as much as you do."_ He defended when she said she couldn't play, still looking at the red instrument in awe. _"Besides, I'll teach 'ya!"_

"Hey, baby girl." He said, making his way through to the kitchen to grab himself some painkillers and a glass of water. "Practicin' I see."

"Yep." She smiled back, scribbling something down on a piece of paper that was on the upturned crate that acted as a coffee table in front of her. "You know I can't do shit without playing this for at least half an hour." She laughed before strumming quickly.

Joel listened and smiled to himself. Jesus, she was getting good. Must've had a natural talent for it.

"You're gettin' real good, Kiddo." He groaned as he sat in the patched-up armchair by the window. "You're better than me now. Must've had a good teacher."

"Pshh! Yeah, in what world? " She laughed before crinkling her brow. "Uh, Joel…"

"Yeah?"

"I… uh… I wrote something." She stammered, absentmindedly fiddling with the pick. "Could you maybe… listen and tell me what you think?"

"Sure." He said, turning to face her fully and putting his glass on the crate. He saw her hesitate and crinkled his brow in concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah I just…" She shrugged, trying to gulp down her nerves. Yeah, sure Joel was like her dad. Her _old_ dad, none the less, but she didn't know how he'd react to it. Would he flip out? Would he shout? She shook her head, ridding herself of the thoughts. "Oh fuck it." She said before strumming the guitar forcibly, emitting a nice sounding chord progression.

She let out a few calming breaths before starting to sing; something that Joel had never heard her do before.

"_I heard you mumble in your sleep_

_Baby I hate these nightmares too_

_And I've never been outside_

_Because they built these goddamn city walls so high"_

Joel was thoroughly shocked. Never would he have thought that she'd sing like that. She was good! Really good! He saw how nervous she was and flashed her a small smile. She grinned nervously and continued strumming.

"_So if you showed me the way _

_I'm sure the time we have would outweigh the past_

_I ripped these words from empty pages_

_All that's left is this bitter taste in my mouth"_

She played an instrumental for a while, just concentrating on her guitar. She remembered when Joel had given it to her like it was yesterday. Ever since, she had lugged it everywhere with her, even finding some stickers for the body and adding graffiti-style writing that said _'Endure and Survive'_.

"_So these grey trails, dark skies are scattered with snow_

_And the lives of the innocent are left at home_

_With your 6 shot, my 6 string out on the road_

_We can call where ever we want home"_

She paused slightly to flex her fingers and grinned at him in embarrassment . He simply started back, dumbstruck. How the fuck did she get this good? Yeah, she wasn't perfect. After all, she was fifteen. Who was at that age? I mean, Joel was a father by Ellie's age, so he wasn't one to criticize.

She started strumming again and crinkled her brow, obviously trying to remember the lyrics. Eventually, her eyes lit with familiarity and she started singing once again.

"_Well I left Riley at the door maybe I'll see her again_

_And my mother wrote me letters but even they had to end_

_If I could count on anyone it would be on you my friend_

_And we could walk the road most travelled once again"_

He let a sad smile cross his face when she mentioned Riley and her mother. Of course she had told him everything. About how she had been forced to shoot the girl, Riley, when she had turned. And how she had numerous letters from her mother, all directed at a certain age. Being Ellie, she had opened them all, declaring herself to be "too impatient".

"_Well you've got one thing right." Joel_ had laughed upon hearing her say that and seeing her curled in her chair, furrowing her brows at the foreign words of a woman she so loved and missed.

"_So if you showed me the way_

_I'm sure the time we have it would outweigh the past_

_And I stole these words from blank cassettes _

_In the back seat while we just let time pass"_

Her eyes flickered over to him for a second to send him an appreciative look.

"_I hope you realize that this is a big fucking thank-you, old man."_ She thought, chuckling at herself. Yes, she and Joel were not related by blood. But that didn't stop her from looking up to him the way she would a father. He was her saving grace and, although she didn't know it, she was his. _"Because I'm never singing for you again."_

"_And at the end of it all when we're dead and gone_

_Be it from old age or Infection_

_I can jump in the deep and start to swim_

_Knowing you had my back all along_

_And we struggled with surviving for so long"_

The guitar rang out and a deep blush covered her cheeks. Joel clapped loudly, his large hands echoing around the barren room as he made his way over to her. She placed the guitar in its usual place of resting against the sofa and allowed herself to be brought into a hug.

"That was great, baby-girl." He muttered, grinning like a mad man. The ache in his back had truly gone and had been replaced with tingles.

"Pshh." Ellie quickly brushed off, moving away slightly and allowing a mischievous grin to take over her face. "Besides, you've gotta return the favour."


End file.
